Sunday Downward Transitions and Canter - Oh My

Finally a good weather day.

Because vet says its not hocks etc but likely hormones bothering Try, I decided that I can go back to active learning goals for Try and I.

One of our issues is downward transitions.
1. I fall apart especially from canter to trot.
2. Try: it is a goal for her to be using her HQ and to have smooth transitions
3. Dawn suggested think forward in the transition--I have probably been thinking halt.

A basic exercise
1. On the rail from a standstill, my life up, lean back a little, bend knees to signal Try to back. Yes she gets that--the issue is a good energetic back--we backed (carrot stick) until we got the energy. Then repeated twice and it got better each time. Rest, treat.
2. On the rail, walk then halt and back--some progress here as well.
3. Next time: trot, halt and immediate back up with energy is the goal.

Riding: Warmup on the rail walk/trot--good energy. Lots of activity in the ring--good looking geldings etc! Try had plenty of energy--in fact they were all really fresh and full of energy--too much except for Devon who Bethanna was riding--perhaps because Bethanna was the rider.

Next went into dressage ring and put cones down and played with transitions walk to trot to walk to trot. Up and back--point to point from A to C etc. Try only missed one downward transition--we stopped and backed back to the cone with energy--some stick to cue--then turned away went back to start over and from then on she had it.

Just a little walk trot with soft feel and one nice leg yield.

Then canter--Try was wild, Ramone in the adjoining paddock was wild, Gretzky was wild, etc. Decided I needed more space to work it out and went to the rail. Wow. No sign of LBI! I have never thought of Try as ever running away from me but in effect she did. She felt angry, would not settled into a rhythm with little 1/2 halts, and finally took off after Gretzky and I had to pull on the reins to bring her to a trot. WOW!! So we played circing variations on line in the dressage ring. Try settled nicely and was the horse I know. I opted not to go back to riding the canter and left the ring for a long passenger walk.

Upon reflection--the depo shot has not had time to have any effect--I will likely put off getting a nice canter rhythm in the western saddle on Friday as that should give time for depo shot to have some effect and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday will be bad weather days.